Smaller Ones Are (Not!) Sweeter
by Riverstone38
Summary: The Hyena is called on an urgent mission. But when she arrives at the Playground, she finds the last thing anyone would expect. Someone has turned the N.E.R.D.S into 5-year-olds! With no one else to help, Hyena must find a way to turn them back while keeping them out of trouble. Not to mention some of their worst enemies have found out. This'll be one heck of a ride...
1. The Baby-Obsessed SuperVillain

**My first NERDS story! I might write more, depending on how well people like this one.**

**I got this idea from the Author of Mother Thalia. I can't remember who right now, but you should read that story. Seriously. It's a great story.**

***Review replies go here***

**If you've read Heracles the Strong, I promise, I'm working on it right now! It'll be done soon. Very soon.**

**R&R!**

**Enjoy~**

**EDIT:Cover by Hero girl(Tumblr)**

**Now, what do we say to this nice person for taking the time to make a cover for this story?**

**...I'm waiting!**

* * *

The Hyena rushed to The Playground, stumbling as she rounded a tight corner. The school was, thankfully, deserted. She had received an urgent message from the NERDS, and didn't feel like dealing with obstacles-such as annoying 6th graders. It sounded like trouble. The Hyena knew it must be bad if they couldn't handle it by themselves...And she was looking forward to seeing Jackson again, for the first time since Ms. Holiday turned traitor.

Wham! Someone slammed into her. A very large someone. The Hyena was thrown backwards and smacked against the row of lockers. Conveniently, these lockers were the entrance to the Playground. The Hyena held a hand to her head. She blearily looked up at a giant mass of a man and backpedaled into the lockers again in shock. He wasn't wearing anything except a diaper-okay, a loincloth. Same thing, right? And-the Hyena had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing- a green bib-and-bonnet combo. The huge, spiked club was not funny, however. The Hyena guessed he was either an unlucky henchman or a very unlucky goon.

The man grunted and hefted his club, his small, dull eyes glaring. Yep, definitely a goon. No one else could be that troll-like. He brought it up over his head, and the Hyena prepared for the worst, when another man burst out from behind him.

Hyena could now see where they had come from. It was a large, slightly smoking hole. It looked like someone had blasted through the school wall. The Hyena knew that that was never a good sign. Dr. Jigsaw, the last maniac she had worked for(That job didn't work out well, unsurprisingly), never incinerated walls. Plenty of people, but walls. He wasn't insane enough to do that, although he was plenty insane.

The new man was holding a long, empty syringe. He was dressed more or less normally, aside from a metallic green cape and the lime green bag slung over his shoulder. He looked around, his gaze resting on the Hyena.

The Hyena shivered. The bright, bug-eyed look creeped her out.

"Well, well!" The man cried. He had a very high voice, the Hyena noticed. "Another little one. Tell, me, little one. Do _you _have any hidden powers?"

_Hidden Powers? ...The NERDS! _The Hyena thought with a jolt. _But this man isn't in handcuffs, and he looks more or less unharmed. That means...Oh no..._

The man grinned, as if he could read her thoughts. "The other little ones fought well, I'll admit that much. But they were no match for my Infansinator!" He threw his head back and laughed. A strange, wild laugh.

The Hyena rubbed her temples and groaned. _Great. Another crazy Supervillain._ _Just what I need today._

The man started talking to himself, while his goon just stood there, looking like he was used to it. "They went down quick! They were no match for me, Doctor Xavier!" He laughed. Then, suddenly, he stopped. He gave The Hyena a twisted sideways smile. "Lets see if this little one fights like the others. Maybe she doesn't fight at all!" Still grinning, Dr. Xavier tossed the empty syringe away and pulled a fresh one from his bag. It was filled with a clear, thick liquid. "Lets see her turn into a _really _little one! Just like the others!" He giggled as though he had made a joke.

The Hyena pulled herself together and stood, battle ready, in front of Dr. Xavier. She gave what she hoped was a fierce, intimidating glare, even though she was still a little light-headed. Dr. Xavier cocked his head and waved the syringe at her. "Nope! She'll fight. Brucey? Take her out." Gone was his childish demeanor. Now, Dr. Xavier looked downright scary.

The goon, who had turned at the sound of his name, grunted in delight. He swung his club, but the Hyena jumped clear of it. She pulled a knife from her belt and slashed at Bruce's hand, the one holding the club. Bruce roared in pain and dropped the club. He swung at his opponent with the other hand, who dodged easily, but tripped over the fallen club. She landed on the floor with a thump.

The Hyena winced and pushed herself up. Luckily, she had missed the spikes, but the fall still hurt. It was easier-much easier- to do these things when she was training to be an assassin. _You need to start up training again. _She scolded herself.

The Hyena eyed Bruce, who was reaching for his club again. She retrieved her knife, then whirled around and kicked Bruce in the jaw, causing him to stumble backward. The Hyena didn't pause. She advanced and sucker punched him in the stomach. It didn't do much, however, and Bruce retaliated, throwing a punch at her head. The Hyena ducked and roundhouse kicked him in the same place. This time Bruce doubled over, clutching his stomach.

Satisfied that Bruce was down for at least a few minutes, the Hyena sighed and turned to Dr. Xavier. He grinned, but it seemed a little forced this time. "Well! Aren't you a strong little one!" Dr. Xavier glanced down at a nonexistent watch on his wrist. "Oops! Time to go. Bye, little one!" He squeaked. He pocketed the syringe and grabbed his goon -who had just barely recovered- by the arm and darted down the hall. The Hyena moved to stop them, but it was too late. She was about to give chase when she saw the huge, smoking hole, and remembered why she was there in the first place.

The Hyena hesitantly moved closer and looked down. It was black, except for a rope ladder leading down to a dot of light. Probably the playground. The Hyena eyed the rope. It would be a lot safer, but too slow. She stood at the edge, sucked in a deep breath, and jumped.

* * *

The Hyena tumbled off of a chair(Seriously? What idiot put a chair there?*****) and landed on the floor. She took in her surroundings for a second. Everything was where it was supposed to be, surprisingly. It was quiet, sort of, except for faint voices coming from behind a closed door. The Hyena slowly got up, eyes on the door. It looked plain enough. Nothing to suggest what might be on the other side.

A crash sounded, and the voices silenced for a second. Then they started up again, slightly louder than before.

The Hyena abandoned all caution, ran to the door, and threw it open.

Nothing could have prepared her for the sight on the other side.

Absolutely nothing.

There were five five and six year old kids, all clustered around a large round table. The blond boy with braces was arguing with a freckled redhead.A short , black haired girl was cheering them on. Another girl -this one with short blond hair and glasses hanging off of her head- was yelling her head off at all three of them. A slightly chubby African-American boy was watching silently, looking mildly interested. The last one, a thin, jittery Mexican boy was pawing around a backpack. He pulled out a candy bar, yelled "Score!" and stuffed it into his mouth. All of them were wearing clothes that looked to be several sizes too big.

The Hyena just watched with an open mouth and a growing feeling of horror mixed with suspicion. She stumbled over to the Duncan look-alike. "H-hey! You! What's your name?" _P-please don't say Duncan Dewey! _She begged silently.

The kid stared at her warily. "Duncan. Whas****** your name?"

The Hyena wanted to scream. This was impossible. People can't turn into little kids! It's just not possible! _What had said? They turned into very little ones? _Only now did she realized what that meant.

Duncan frowned. He apparently didn't like being ignored. "Why are you so quiet? Your face look funny. Did you eat something bad?" He pestered her.

The Hyena snapped back to the present. "I wish," She muttered. "It would be so much easier to deal with." A little bit louder, she said, "No. My name is the Hyena."

Duncan thought hard for a second. "Isn't a Hyena like a dog?"

Hyena narrowed her eyes. "I guess," She replied uncertainly.

Duncan giggled. "I'm gonna call you Doggie!"

The Hyena clenched her teeth together in frustration. "No, you will call me Hyena. My name is not Doggie!"

Duncan smiled innocently. "Okay, Doggie."

The Hyena was about to say something extremely rude when another crash sounded. Whirling around, she saw that the kids that were arguing with each other(Jackson and Heathcliff, Hyena guessed. God, he looked even cuter when he was 6...) had broken out into a small fistfight/wrestling match. The crash happened Jackson was knocked backwards into a chair, which snapped against the sudden weight. It didn't faze him, however, and they kept fighting. Matilda hovered nearby, looking like she might jump in at any second.

Ruby -or at least Hyena thought it was Ruby, she looked different- had given up yelling at them and was sulking in her chair.

The Hyena closed her eyes and let out a long sigh. Something tugged at her sleeve, and she looked down. Duncan had gotten up and was looking up at her expectantly.

"What?" She snapped.

Duncan looked around. When he was sure no one was listening, he motioned for the Hyena to listen closely. "These clothes feel weird. Can you help me change into something else? I don't know how." He said into her ear. Then, he looked down and scuffled his feet, obviously embarrassed. "Please don't tell the others!" He suddenly begged. "They'll laugh at me!"

The Hyena's eyes were wide. For a second she couldn't breathe. Even the thought of helping..._But you're a boy! _"S...sure!" She choked out. "Just...later, okay? I have to figure some things out."

Duncan nodded, still looking at the ground. "Thanks..." He mumbled.

Looking at the scene in front of her, the Hyena was never so sure about something in her life. She groaned and put her head in her hands. _I'd give anything for Ms. Holiday-the non-evil one- to be here. I'm not cut out for this._

* * *

**Yes! First chapter up! Please, review. Tell me what you thing. It would make me so incredibly happy. It will only take a few seconds, I promise.**

**Did I mention that everyone who reviews gets a shoutout, and that the person with the best review/idea gets the next chapter dedicated to them?**

***=This idiot, right here. XD**

****=I misspelled that on purpose. He's five, remember?**

**The Team might seem a little-or extremely, depending on the person- OOC. Remember, this is because they are much younger, and in my experience, 5/6-year-olds act very different from 11/12-year-olds.**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Love,**

** ~Riverstone**


	2. Powers, Pizza, and Assassins, Oh My!

**Wow, only one day! I think that's a record or something. **

**I don't have much to say, only that this chapter is dedicated to Absense, the person who gave the first, longest, most helpful, and _only_ review for this story. Thank you! I know, I said this wouldn't come out anytime soon. I might have lied...just a little bit. I didn't know I would have time.**

**Also, would anyone like to make cover art for this story? I would love it if you would!**

**R&R!**

**Enjoy~**

* * *

The Hyena absentmindedly watched Flinch run around, drumming her fingers on the table. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to do, and the fact that these kids all still had the equivalent of superpowers only made things harder. The Hyena fingered her knife and was contemplating going after Dr. Xavier when Matilda ran up to her.

"Hey!" She gasped, looking excited, and took a couple puffs on her inhaler. "Jackson threw Heathcliff at the ceiling with his braces!"

"WHAT?" The Hyena jumped out of her seat. "Where are they?!"

Matilda grinned and gestured at a tall pile of rubble. " Over there."

The Hyena narrowed her eyes and marched over to said pile. Heathcliff was perched at the top, rubbing his head and scowling. Jackson looked smug, but stopped smiling when he spotted The Hyena. "Um...Uh...He started it!" He said, pointing at Heathcliff.

"No, he did!" Heathcliff yelled down.

"It was him!" Jackson insisted.

The Hyena glared at both of them. She put her hands on her hips. "I don't care _who_ started it! I'm finishing it!" She snapped.

By now, everyone else had gathered around to watch. Even Flinch, though he was still shaking. The Hyena didn't bother to tell them to go away. Her attention was on two and two only.

The two boys exchanged glances, like, _uh oh_.

The Hyena turned to Jackson. "Jackson, we don't throw our friends at the ceiling. You should know that by now." She reprimanded.

Jackson set his jaw. "He's not my friend. Besides, he survived, didn't he?"

The Hyena glowered. "I know, but it's still wrong. What did Heathcliff do that deserves being thrown at the ceiling?"

Jackson looked at the ground and mumbled something the Hyena couldn't catch.

"What was that?" She asked, gentler this time.

Jackson looked up, looking embarrassed. "He said that no one wants me." He muttered.

The Hyena sighed. "He was wrong, okay? Just...please don't throw people anymore."

Jackson nodded. "Even if they deserve it?"

The Hyena let a hint of a smile cross her face. "Let me decide if they deserve it." Looking up at Heathcliff, the smile vanished. "Get down here." She ordered. "You two still have to apologize to each other."

Heathcliff made a face, but jumped down. He faced Jackson. They both glared at each other.

"Well?" The Hyena prompted after about a minute of silence.

Heathcliff huffed a sigh. "Fine." He growled. "I'm sorry you're so stupid." He said to Jackson.

"I'm sorry you're so ugly." Jackson shot back, and they both turned away from each other.

The Hyena rolled her eyes, but she knew it was as close as she was going to get. "Not exactly what I meant, but okay."

She turned around, and the other four scrambled to hide behind each other.

"Ruby! Flinch! Matilda! Duncan!" The Hyena called. "It's getting late. We all need to go home."

"But I don't wanna go home!" Flinch complained. He had finally calmed down from his sugar rush.

The others chimed in, all agreeing with Flinch.

The Hyena ran her fingers through hair, suddenly tired. "But you have to go home! You can't stay here forever!"

Ruby crossed her arms. "Yes we can."

Hyena muttered something foul about stubborn kids.

"Besides," Duncan added. "I'm hungry."

Flinch nodded his head so fast it almost appeared to be a blur. "Yeah! Let's go get pizza! And ice cream! And candy! And cake! And ice cream! And pizza!" He yelled.

The Hyena stared at him for a second, then turned to the others, including Jackson and Heathcliff. "Are all of you hungry?"

Everyone looked at each other, and nodded.

The Hyena located some spare change and a phone. "Fine. We'll order a pizza. But no sugar until after dinner!" She told Flinch sternly. He nodded too quickly-and innocently- for The Hyena's liking.

"Okay! Can I have pepperonies?" He asked.

"But I'm allergic to pepperoni! And pizza!" Ruby protested.

The Hyena gave her a look. "Is there anything you're not allergic to?"

Ruby thought hard for a second. "No." She admitted. "But I don't want pepperoni!"

The Hyena punched in the phone number for Pizza Hut. "We'll split it down the middle. Half cheese, half pepperoni. Everyone okay with that?" She said, putting the phone to her ear.

They all nodded, though Ruby still looked doubtful.

"Okay, great. Hello? Hi! I'd like to place an order for delivery. Large, please. I'd like pepperoni, but can you do it on only half the pizza?" She listened to the garbled words for a second. "Thanks! Yes, I'll be paying in cash. Bye!"

The Hyena hung up. She turned to the NERDS. "Okay, now, you need to behave yourselves when the delivery guy gets here, okay?"

Matilda pouted for a second. "Okay, fine."

The Hyena nodded. "Great. We don't want to scare him away. Now, Flinch, this means-" She broke off as she noticed that not only was he ignoring her, he had found a bag of unwrapped Hershey's Kisses.

"No! Wait!" The Hyena shouted. But it was too late. Flinch stuffed half of them in his mouth with a crazy grin. The Hyena watched in horror as a wild light came into his eyes. "I am mighty!" He yelled, and the Hyena winced and put her head in her hands.

She didn't notice Ruby standing by. With an evil grin, the six-year-old girl stuffed the numerous Hershey's Kisses wrappers in her pocket.

* * *

Anthony waited by the front of the front of the school, holding a large pizza. He squinted, trying to see inside the doors. _What's taking them so long? _He grumbled to himself.

A few seconds later, the double doors burst open. A frazzled looking girl stood there. She looked him and the pizza over for a second, and dug out a wad of cash. "How much do I owe you?" She asked, sounding out of breath.

Anthony forced a smile on his face, choosing to not mention that he had been left waiting for almost an hour. "14.50." He said. The girl counted out the money and handed it to him. In return Anthony handed her the pizza turned to leave. He stopped and frowned. "Do I hear...Screaming?" He asked.

The girl shook her head sharply. "No, you're imagining things! Bye, thanks for coming!" She said in a rush, and disappeared through the doors.

Anthony frowned again, but went back to his car.

* * *

A large, muscular man, dressed entirely in extremely dark purple, watched from the shadows as the teenage delivery boy went to his car. He walked up behind him and grabbed the boy by his neck. The boy spun around. "Hey, watch it, you-" He fell silent as the man pointed a green-edged silver dagger against his neck.

"Who was that girl?" The man snapped. His voice was a low, raspy hiss.

The boy's eyes bulged. "I-I don't know!" He choked out, and flinched when the man leaned close to him and bared his teeth.

"Take a guess, then." He snarled.

The boy shook his head. "I swear, I have no idea!"

The man let out a noise of disgust. He released the boy, who scrambled into his car and drove away at about twice the speed limit.

The man didn't watch him go. He had more important things to worry about. He was El Escorpión, the best professional assassin in the world, after all. And he had no qualms about killing a fellow assassin or a child. That was good, seeing as his newest prey was both. And El Escorpión had just found out where she was. She fit the description, after all.

The man smiled-a twisted, leering grin- and, pocketing his poisoned knife, vanished back into the shadows of the school.

* * *

**DunDunDunnnn...The Hyena better watch her back. Some evil madman has sent an even eviler madman after her. **

**Escorpión-Scorpion (In Spanish)**

**Review, please!**

**~Riverstone**


	3. Meanwhile, at Pizza Hut

**Hi guys! Very sorry, very short chapter today.**

** It's just a filler, but it will be very important for later chapters.**

**I have decided to just PM the answer to your review to you individually, with the exception of Guests. Those I'll answer here.(If you are a guest, can you add a name/nickname whatever you want me to call you? Thanks!)**

**Thank you wobbuffett the third for reviewing! This chapter is dedicated to you!**

**Please check the bottom A/N, peoples! I have a plot-changing question to ask you all.**

**Oh! Almost forgot. Here's Anthony's description, as it isn't in the story yet.**

**...*~*...**

**Anthony- **Average height teenage boy with messy brown hair, hazel eyes, and a light tan. Is impatient and easily annoyed, but never stays mad long. Terrified of most snakes and all arachnids. Really likes lizards, though. Currently works at a Pizza Hut.

**...*~*...**

**R&R!-Trolls will be shot...With cookie dough, and some sarcasm rolled in(That just makes it taste so much better, don't you agree?). Survivors will be shot again. Flames will be used for cooking the cookie dough.**

**Enjoy~**

* * *

Anthony drove to Pizza Hut as fast as he could. He periodically glanced over his shoulder to make sure that the strange man was not following him. The strange man with the long knife, iron grip, and raspy voice, like as if a snake had learned how to talk. Or a spider. It didn't really matter, as Anthony hated both of them equally. Unfortunately, the man reminded him of both. And while this was scary, it was nothing compared to his terrifying eyes and leering smile. Anthony shuddered. He could almost imagine a few extra pairs of those shiny black eyes. Anthony wouldn't be surprised to find out that he had fangs.

Anthony pulled into an empty parking space. He remembered the money, and silently cursed. Anthony forgot to count it and make change. The girl had left in such a hurry that she hadn't left any time, but Anthony sure wasn't going back there anytime soon. Maybe not ever, seeing as there were spider-people with knives roaming around.

He sighed and pulled out the money. Strange, it felt slightly thicker than it should have been.

Anthony separated the bills, and couldn't contain his gasp of shock. He considered running away with the money, but rethought it. His boss might notice if he never returned from a delivery. It was doubtful, as she never noticed much more than her pocket mirror(and her phone. Nobody really knows how, or WHY she was hired in the first place, but it is what it is) but it was always a possibility. No, Anthony decided, he would give Pizza Hut part of the money, and pay for the rest of the cute girl's order with his own money. There _was_ only ten dollars left, after all. Yeah, that's what he would do. But first, a trip to the bank.

Anthony clenched the bills tight in his hand as he started up the car. He even forgot about the strange man as he backed out again. There were more important things to think about, such as how to spend the hundreds of dollars clenched protectively in Anthony's hand.

* * *

**Like I said before, just a small filler chapter. There will be more action in the next chapter, don't worry. **

** ...*~*...**

**(Ooh, I like that! Maybe I'll use it for line breaks/time skips! )**

**I have a very important question for everyone. Is this the last we see of Anthony? Or should he appear later? And if the latter, should he have a major role in the story?**

**Just wondering. **

** I know what some of you may be thinking. _What the heck? How did he end up with God-knows how many hundred dollars? It said that The Hyena counted out the money!_**

**This is why.**

* * *

"14.50."

The Hyena pulled four ones from the wad of cash she had out. She heard a hysterical scream from inside, and scrambled to get the rest. Everything in a blur, The Hyena saw the Number One on all of the dollars she was holding, so she grabbed Eleven of them and handed it to the delivery boy. He looked annoyed, but accepted the money and handed her the pizza.

* * *

**So! There you have it. Short story even shorter, she saw the Hundred Dollar Bills and mistook them for Ones. I mean, come on! It was a mistake anyone could make, right?...Right...?...No? **

**Ah, well. I don't think that that mistake will cause the death of more than 5 or 6 people, don't you?**

**Review!...Please?**

**Lots Of Love,**

**~Riverstone**


	4. Pizza, Vladimir, and 100 measly Dollars!

**I haven't done this is forever, if at all, but...**

**I do not own NERDS.**

**Which is good, because I'd probably ruin it with my terrible writing.**

**Another short chapter..._sorry..._but things pick up! The plotline is finally on track! No more screwing around trying to get this thing started.**

**This chapter is dedicated to Absense. Thanks for sticking with this fic!**

**R&R!**

**Enjoy~**

* * *

The Hyena stuffed the remaining cash in her pocket, which wasn't easy, considering she was holding a huge pizza. The fact that a bunch of crazed little kids were running circles around her didn't help much either.

"Matilda! Leave Duncan alone!" The Hyena snapped.

"Yeah, Maddie. Leave me alone. Doggie said to." Duncan said, sticking out his tongue. Matilda returned the gesture.

The Hyena glowered at her new nickname. "On second thought, keep bothering him."

"Yeah, Maddie. Keep bother-Wait, what?" He started running again, Matilda close behind. She shrieked with laughter as she grabbed Duncan by the arm.

Jackson saw this, and he grinned evilly. "Matilda likes Duncan! Matilda likes Duncan!" He yelled. "Maddie and Duncan, sitting in a tree."

"K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Flinch and Heathcliff joined in. Ruby just huffed.

Matilda blushed and let go of Duncan. "T-that's not true..." She mumbled. Instantly, Ruby's arm swelled up, and she scratched it furiously.

The Hyena resisted the urge to giggle. Oh, if only the older NERDS could see how they were acting! Instead, she settled for a sigh and hefted the pizza higher on her shoulder, then winced, because it _was_ really hot. "Real immature, guys," she grumbled. "If you all don't shut up and get down to the Playground, I'm going to drop the pizza, which will make no one happy."

Fortunately or not, threatening junk food seemed to be one of the few ways to make hyper 6-year-olds buck up and do what they're told. Matilda grabbed her inhalers and flew down. Duncan crawled down on the wall like a human spider, Jackson lowered himself down with his megabraces, and Flinch just jumped, leaving Ruby and Heathcliff to squabble over who got to climb the rope ladder first. The Hyena waited for what seemed like an hour before they finally sorted it out(Ruby pushed Heathcliff over the edge of the hole then climbed down herself). Wishing that she had gotten Jackson or Matilda to carry the pizza down for her, she balanced it on her head and grabbed the first rungs of the ladder. The Hyena had started to climb down when she noticed a flicker of movement out of the corner of her eye. She frowned and paused. The Hyena dropped the pizza, turned her head, and...

A gloved hand clamped over her mouth, preventing her from calling out in surprise. Her eyes wide, she tried to squirm out of her attackers' grip, kicking and punching, but he just laughed and struck the Hyena on the back of her head. She stopped struggling, and just before her vision faded, she caught a glimpse of purple and silver. Strange, that silver almost looked like...

Then everything went black.

* * *

Anthony all but flew into his apartment, locked the door, and threw his work-bag on the sole table.(His co-workers called it a purse, but what did they know?) Vladimir, Anthony's huge pet German Shepherd, came bounding out of the other room, barking joyfully.

"Hey, Vlad, buddy!" Anthony called. "Guess what? I've got us both dinner for the next few years...and maybe even a bigger apartment!" He said, waving the money around. He could barely contain his excitement. It wasn't enough for a house, but things _were_ really cramped around here. A bigger living space would be a nice change of pace.

Vlad barked, not really understanding, but just glad that Anthony was home early and seemed really happy.

Anthony spread out the bills, and checked them over, just to make sure they were real. Satisfied with his findings, he turned to his friend. "Come on up to the car, Vladimir. We're going to go thank the girl who gave us this wonderful tip, then stop by the bank to pick something up," Anthony told him, grinning.

Vlad jumped up and pawed at the door. He looked at Anthony as if to say, _Well? What are you waiting for?_

Anthony laughed and unlocked the door, then opened it. Vlad bounded straight through, with Anthony following close behind.

* * *

El Escorpion rifled through the Hyena's pockets, searching. His dark eyes lit up when he found some bills, and he pulled them out to reveal...100 dollars. El Escorpion stared at it in shock for a moment, before surprise gave way to rage. The cash disappeared in his fist. He had only accepted this...this _minor _job because the girl was supposed to have money. Lots of money. 100 dollars was nothing.

El Escorpion scowled. He was going to have a word with his employer...then kill him. He had better things to do than run around killing poor, has-been child assassins!

He grabbed the Hyena, dragged her out of the school, and threw her in his car. El Escorpion had...plans... for his prey.

* * *

**And...Done! Another chapter~**

**I had no idea that it would turn out like this. This was not my plan at all. El Escorpion was going to confront Anthony first, then the whole gang at the Playground...while they were together. I was just writing...and I sort of let go.**

**I love dogs! All animals, really. Except wasps. I hate wasps. Who doesn't? Yes, Anthony has a dog named Vladimir, yes, Vlad will be fairly important to the story, and yes, he was named after Vladimir Dracula. Why? ...I don't know. The name's not really important...not yet.**

**Hehe...Don't you just miss those days? When you could do stuff like tease other kids, make paper airplanes, and play with finger guns without being expelled or suspended? When the Gov't wasn't obsessed with making sure kids lived in a plastic, completely-ABSOLUTELY-sanitized bubble?*Sigh...***

**Sorry if that's offensive to anyone. I don't mean for it to be.**

**Yes, I have decided that Anthony will remain in the story, and have a major role.**

**Please, leave your thoughts on this chapter!**

**LoL,**

**Riverstone.**


	5. Surprise! DrWhatshisname is here!

**Hello!**

**Disclaimer-I don't own NERDS.**

**Yes! Much longer chapter!**

**I am so excited...Sosososososo excited! I didn't plan on writing another chapter, but I was just so..._Excited. _Why? WELL...OUR CHINCHILLAS HAD A BABY! It's so freaking adorable! We're going to call him Gizmo.3**

**Sorry for freaking out if this is nothing new to you, but still!**

**This chapter is dedicated to Ophelia Lokisdottir. Thanks for taking the time to review!**

**R&R!**

**Enjoy~**

* * *

The Hyena sat up as best she could and put a hand to her head. She fought the urge to groan. Everything hurt, and she couldn't see, so she had no idea where she was.

She frowned and felt her head again. There were two things that weren't normally there-a large bump and a blindfold. Okay, she worked for NERDS, so the blindfold wasn't exactly new and bumps could be pretty common. But they weren't there last time the Hyena checked.

_Speaking of which_, the Hyena wondered, _when was last time? What happened?_ She strained to remember, but came up with nothing. The Hyena couldn't help the small groan that came next. It just sort of...slipped out.

Something rustled just in front of her, and she snapped her head toward the noise.

"Who's there?" She called.

There was a short pause. "You don't have to be so loud, now, little girl." Someone said. His voice was low and raspy. "I'm too close to you for that." He sounded annoyed.

The Hyena fumed. Who did this mystery man think he was, calling her a little girl? "You haven't answered my question." She snapped, not caring about any possible consequences.

The man laughed. "I know. I really don't see a need to answer it."

"I'll ask again. Who. Are. You?" The Hyena said, trying to sound tough. In truth, she was scared. The man's voice unnerved her like nothing else.

There was another pause, as if he was considering answering. "I am many things. I am like you, in a way or two."

The Hyena sighed. "Find, I'll rephrase my question. What's your name?"

"Much better," The man said, sounding pleased, or at the very least less annoyed. "I am El Escorpion. You may call me Scorpius, though. I have found that trying to say my name drains my already weak victims too much, and they die too soon."

The Hyena shuddered. She recognized that name. He was a legendary assassin, renowned for stealing his victims away and 'playing' with them until they died. But why was he here? Few saw him, only his employers, victims, and...oh no. In a rush, she remembered. The school. The pizza. The attacker. The Team. The Team! Where were they? "Where are they?!" She blurted suddenly.

"Who?" El Escorpion asked.

The Hyena made a sharp noise of disgust. "You know who! Quit playing games and tell me!" She snarled. "What have you done with them?"

"I don't know what..." He stopped short, then continued in a sly yet eager voice. "Oh, so you have friends living in the hole you were going down?"

The Hyena clapped her hands over her mouth.

The older assassin laughed cruelly. "Well, I guess I have a way to break you now! This will be easier than I thought."

The Hyena wanted very badly to cry. What have I done? Nothing short of selling out a bunch of little kids-who she grew to care for very much-to the worlds greatest and cruelest assassin, that's what.

The Hyena laid back down on what she realized was a car seat and tried to get to sleep, but the recent conversation echoed in her mind.

_"I guess I have a way to break you now! This will be easier than I thought."_

* * *

Anthony waited outside of the school where he met the girl. Vlad romped around, sniffing everything he could.

"Great. We're kept waiting. _Again_. I wonder what's so distracting this time? Maybe she doesn't know I'm here," Anthony thought aloud. "Should we go in? I don't want to stay out here in the open much longer."

Vlad only responded with a wag of his tail, most of his attention on a sleek black boot.

Anthony shrugged and pushed the door open. Instantly, Vlad snapped to attention, his unwavering attention on the dimly lit hallway in front of them.

"Come'on." Anthony said impatiently. He started to walk through, but Vlad shoved past him, barking like mad, and sprinted down the hallway.

"Hey!" Anthony yelped, and ran after him. "Vladimir! Slow-" He turned a corner and stopped short. Vlad was staring intently into a large hole in the wall. He didn't react, which worried Anthony. "Whatcha staring at, boy?" He also peered into the hole. "I don't see anything..." He noticed that the dog was looking down, not straight ahead, so Anthony also looked down. There was a rounded light at the bottom. "I refuse to believe that that's where she lives." He muttered, spying the rope on the side. But it seemed to be the case. Now that Vlad wasn't barking, Anthony could hear faint voices coming from the hole. They were impossible to make out, but there seemed to be at least one girl contributing.

Anthony shook his head and sighed. "Well, I guess there's only one thing to do." He grabbed the rope ladder and started down.

Vlad shifted his weight from one foot to another, unsure what to do. In a split-second decision, he leaped over Anthony and down the hole.

Anthony screamed and tried to grab for his dog, but missed. He climbed down the ladder twice as fast, trying to reach the light.

It took some time, but he finally reached the bottom. He dropped down onto the ground and spun around to face Vlad, expecting the worst. Except...Vlad wasn't there. Anthony looked around frantically, but couldn't see him anywhere. He did hear voices, though, coming from the other side of a door. Voices, and..._was that a bark? _He scrambled over to it and pulled it open. "Vlad!" He yelled...and he gaped.

The room was inhabited by his dog, thankfully, but also by seven little kids. Like, _really _little kids. All but two were clustered around Vlad. The remaining two -a blonde boy and girl, one with huge braces and the other with huge glasses- were standing as far away as possible, the boy eyeing Vlad as if the dog might attack them. The girl was staring straight at Anthony. He didn't like the look in her eye. That look just didn't belong on a six-year-old. He went over to her hesitantly.

"Is this your dog?" She asked, none-too-nicely.

Anthony narrowed his eyes. "Yes." He said stiffly.

"Well, get him out of here. I'm allergic to dogs."

By this time all the other kids had noticed Anthony's presence. They stopped petting Vlad and huddled together, muttering.

"Who is he?"

"Maybe he knows where Doggie went."

"Maybe he knows where our pizza went."

"He doesn't know anything."

"How can you be sure?"

"I just am, okay?"

"...What if HE made Hyena go away? I don't think we should trust him."

These whispers didn't go unnoticed by Anthony, who looked from kid to kid in confusion. "What are you talking about? Who's Hyena?" He asked. "Are you all alone here?"

The braces kid nodded. "The Hyena was supposed to come back a long time ago, but she never did." He sounded sad.

Anthony was about to ask something when Vlad howled in alarm. A rumbling noise sounded, and five men-four of which were exceptionally large- burst down from the hole in the ceiling. The smallest one was laughing manically and holding two brightly colored objects. "And that," he was saying, "Is how you make an entrance!"

Vlad growled at them, backing up to Anthony.

Anthony gaped for the second time that evening. "U-uh..." This was reminding him too much of the spider-y man encounter for his liking. The kids, though, didn't seem fazed. In fact, the little black-haired girl had to be held back by a jittery Mexican boy, as she was trying to charge them with murder in her eyes.

"It's him." The blonde girl snarled.

"Wait, what? Who? Who's 'him'?" Anthony demanded.

The question gave her pause. "I don't know, exactly." She admitted. "All I know is that he came here before. Then he attacked us, and then..."

"Something bad happened." The braces kid finished for her. "We don't know what, though."

Anthony ran a hand through his hair. "So, which one are you talking about? There are five guys there."

"Why, me, of course!" The crazy one yelled, overhearing him. "I attacked, and these nerds were too weak to overcome me!"

"You got in a lucky shot!" The black-haired girl yelled. She was still struggling against her friend. "I demand a rematch!"

"Fine. I'll give you a rematch! I must warn you, though. Dr. Xavier will never be defeated!" With that, he hefted one of the brightly objects -some kind of bazooka, Anthony realized with horror- and put his mouth to it. A feathered dart shot out and headed straight for the blonde girl. She seemed to be expecting it, though, and jumped out of the way. It hit braces kid instead, and he collapsed.

The blonde girl realized what happened and paled. "Jackson!" She yelled.

The rest of the kids saw what happened too. The boy holding the black-haired girl released her. She grabbed a pair of inhalers and-Anthony couldn't believe his eyes- _flew _at Dr. Xavier and the other men. Her inhalers were like mini rockets, blasting her off the ground.

Anthony ran over to Jackson, the braces kid-only, he wasn't a kid anymore. At least, not a little kid. Now, he looked around eleven or twelve.

Vlad sniffed him. Confused, he looked up at Anthony, as if expecting an answer.

"I don't know, old boy..." He muttered, wishing that he had just stayed in bed today. Nothing seemed like it was supposed to be.

Jackson sat up wearily and looked around. "W-what..." He mumbled. "What happened?" Jackson glanced around, his eyes landing on Ruby. His face went slack.

"No...this can't be happening..."

looked as shocked as Jackson and Anthony did. "That wasn't supposed to happen!" He said. "You were supposed to die!" Shaking his head, he checked his bazooka. What he found made his face twist in rage. "You IDIOT!" He yelled at one of his men, who was currently trying to dodge the streams of fire coming from a set of super-inhalers. "YOU GAVE ME THE WRONG DARTS! WE CAN'T FIGHT THE ENEMY WITH THESE!"

"Sorry, boss!" The man said, not sounding sorry at all. "Does that mean we can go back to Headquarters?"

sighed. "Yes, I guess we have to. Get moving!" His men scrambled up the ladder, happy to get away. was about to follow, but he paused. He grabbed something out of the bag he was carrying and threw it at Jackson. Then, he raced up the ladder, shoving the others out of the way.

The black-haired girl blasted one of the slower ones in the foot, making him yelp and climb faster.

Jackson didn't notice the oncoming missile-a huge syringe-, and it struck him in the arm. Hissing in pain, he pulled it out and inspected it. "It's like last time." He told Anthony through gritted teeth. "I'm guessing two things. One, this is why I'm surrounded by little kids that look like my teammates. The other thing is that he has more of whatever made me normal again." He struggled to catch his breath. Whatever was in the now empty syringe was weakening him, Anthony could tell. "Find this 'Headquarters'. It should be there." He paused. "Can you do this favor for me, and possibly the world?" He asked.

Anthony worked his jaw, unsure what to say. Finally, he nodded.

Jackson sighed. "Good. One more thing. Find the Hyena. If anyone can help you, she can. We sent for her the last time showed up, and she shouldn't be too far off."

Anthony nodded again. "What does she look like?" He asked.

Jackson started to tell him, but he fell into unconsciousness. Anthony's vision blurred, and he had to blink. When he opened his eyes, the person he was just talking to was gone. In Jackson's place was the six-year-old boy he met earlier.

* * *

**And...Done! Another chapter~**

**...I'm not going to say anything.**

**Please, leave your thoughts on this chapter!**

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	6. No, I did NOT say Aunty!

**This chapter is the main reason I've changed the rating to T, along with some swearing here and there in the next chapters.**

**Another longish chapter, and a soonish update! You are welcome!**

**Review replies(Guests only)**

**fantastyfreak- **I'm not sure I understand. You do know Vlad is a dog, right? THanks for reviewing!

**Yay4Braceface- **Maybe I should make him act more like a dog, then. ;) Thank you! For that comment and for reviewing! Omg, he is. I don't think you can get any cuter than Gizmo. Should I put a link to a picture up?

**This chapter is dedicated to Absense. Thanks for making my day!**

**R&R!**

**Enjoy~**

* * *

The Hyena woke up in a dark room. A really dark room; as in, pitch black. She didn't remember much of what happened after coming to the Dark Fortress- only a flash of scarlet and a sharp pain. And someone laughing...how could she forget that? It was raspy and cruel, as if a snake had learned to talk.

The Hyena tried to get up and move around, but she was shackled to the wall by her wrists. Not above her, as anyone might expect, but near the ground, with a considerable length of chains attached. The Hyena groaned. These handcuffs were going to leave a bruise that would last for weeks. She would know. It's not the first time she'd been shackled to the wall. Never like this, though. And there was always some villain to gloat about her capture. Usually right next to her.

Right on cue, a door burst open. The Hyena blinked in the sudden light as a tall figure carrying a large lantern stalked forward. "Hello, my dear." The figure rasped in a mocking tone. "Having fun?"

"Yes." The Hyena shot back. She wouldn't give El Escorpion the satisfaction of admitting her discomfort.

El Escorpion smiled. Actually, it was more of a leer. "Sorry to hear it. Fortunately, you won't be for long. I have some new...procedures...that I want to test." He pulled out a stake and a hammer from his previously hidden belt.

The Hyena felt like screaming. Instead, she set her jaw. "What procedures? Talking someone to death? Annoying their ears off? Because if anyone would win a prize for the most boring monologues, it's you," she taunted.

Her captor scowled. The Hyena felt like she hadn't crossed the line quite yet, so she continued. "You know what the prize originally was? An engraved trophy. But do you know what it would be for you? A personalized gag. Public safety reasons. They wouldn't want anyone dying of boredom on the day of the ceremony."

El Escorpion growled-actually growled- and The Hyena knew that she had put him over the edge.

"I'm going to have fun breaking you!" El Escorpion snarled. He reached for her neck, but The Hyena's reflexes were much faster than his. She twisted away and lashed out with her foot. She didn't expect it to land on target, but sure enough, she was met with the crunching of bone and her captor howling and backpedaling as he clutched at his face.

The Hyena smirked, but she didn't have long to celebrate. El Escorpion looked down at her with rage in his eyes. His jaw was bent slightly at an unnatural angle, and blood crisscrossed over his mouth and chin. If he looked gruesome before, it was nothing compared to now.

"You know, I might have let you live," he spat.

The Hyena stared at him fiercely as droplets of blood rained down on her. _Liar_, she thought.

El Escorpion returned her glare. " But now I've changed my mind. You're too much trouble to keep. Dr Xavier-the somewhat intelligent one, not his idiotic brother- was right. For once." With that, he spun around and walked away without the lantern, muttering curses under his breath. "Get me a whip-my steel one-and some brine!" He shouted as he reached the door.

There were some hasty replies from an unknown source, and the door slammed shut behind him.

The Hyena sighed and slumped against the wall. How was she supposed to get home to the NERDS now? Well, at least now she would live a little longer, which gave her more time to plan.

The Hyena stared at the lantern, trying to come up with something, anything. But her mind was a foggy blank. She finally put her head in her hands when the lantern went out. El Escorpion had said something about a whip, she was chained to the wall in a dark room, and the NERDS were all alone, with a bloodthirsty assassin after them, stuck as little kids until she could find an antidote. If there even was one. The Hyena felt as if she was in a situation more hopeless than any other. At least at Jigsaws' place she had some company. Company that rescued them both. She smiled as she remembered Jackson figuring out how to pick the lock with his awful braces, even though he couldn't use them. When he got electrocuted several times yet still kept going. His shocked -though pleased- expression when she kissed him.

The Hyena noticed that she felt slightly better and her head was clearer, so she entertained herself with the thoughts of her friends.

The Hyena was just recalling a rather rewarding mission when the door creaked open, breaking her train of thought. A slim figure holding a bag and an unlit candle slipped in. The door squeaked shut.

The Hyena struggled to see whoever it was, but couldn't. She almost called out when a tiny flame popped into existence less than a foot away from her. A face also came into view. It was a young woman, looking to be around twenty.

"Who are-" the Hyena started to say, but the lady clamped a hand over her mouth, and the rest was muffled.

Mystery Woman shook her head and put a finger to her lips. She put her head close to the Hyena's, who glared at her suspiciously but didn't try to move away.

The woman checked over her shoulder. "Hello, Hyena." She whispered. "I'm here to help."

The Hyena cocked her head. "Help? How can you help me? Aren't you one of El Scorpio's minions?" She said, much quieter this time. It was true, she had very briefly seen this person when she got to the Dark Fortress. The sleek white hair-probably dyed- and dark green bodysuit kinda stood out.

The woman hesitated. "Yes and no. I am, but I'm also a double agent. I'm working with N.E.R.D.S."

The Hyena considered this. "How can I know that you're telling the truth?"

"You can't." The woman admitted. "But I can get you out of here, and to do this you need to trust me. I'm risking a lot by helping you escape." She jiggled the bag, which sounded unnaturally loud in the dark silence.

The Hyena rubbed her forehead as she thought it over. "Okay. How do I get out?"

The woman smiled. "I was hoping you'd ask." She slipped over to the corner closest to the Hyena, pulled a ring of keys from the bag, stuck it in a hidden slot, and turned.

The Hyena stared as a opening silently appeared, almost like a shadow slipping over the wall. "W-what..." She stammered. "Why would there be an escape route in a prison cell?" She asked, bewildered.

The woman grinned, looking pleased at the reaction she had gotten. "Not an escape route," she explained, holding up the keys. "More like a disposal chute."

The Hyena gave her a sideways look. "Disposal...of what?" She asked, even though she felt that she knew the answer.

The woman grimaced. "Victims. After El Escorpion's...Done with them."

The Hyena shuddered. "And I have to go through there?"

The woman nodded. "Which is worse? Some old blood, or death?"

"Good point," The Hyena sighed. She tried to get up.

The woman rushed over. "Here, let me help you." She selected another key off the ring and used it to unlock the shackles.

The Hyena stood up and rubbed her wrists. "Thanks. I guess I'd better get going." She went over to the opening and peered inside.

"You're welcome." The woman said from behind her. "I'd best be going too." She started to leave.

"Wait!" The Hyena said.

The woman paused. "Yes?" She asked.

"What's your name?"

The woman hesitated. "Call me Diana."

The Hyena started through the opening. "Thank you...Diana." She said, just before she was swallowed into darkness.

Diana gave a small half-smile. "You're welcome...Hyena." She put a hand on a button outside of the opening, and it slid closed.

* * *

Anthony absentmindedly stroked Vlad as he waited for Jackson to wake. It had been almost five minutes now, plenty of time to ask for the names of everyone else. The black-haired girl was called Matilda, the Mexican kid was Flinch(Which Anthony found as strange, but didn't question it out loud) the short chubby guy was Duncan, the blonde girl was Ruby, and the redhead with a huge space between his front teeth was Heathcliff. Heathcliff and Ruby had both refused to give their names, but Duncan sold them out.

There was a tug on Anthony's sleeve, and he looked down. It was Duncan.

"H-hey. Do you know where Doggie is?" He asked, shuffling his feet and looking down.

Anthony frowned. "Doggie?"

Duncan nodded. "She doesn't like to be called Doggie, though. She said to call her Hyena."

Anthony furrowed his eyebrows. "Hyena? You mean The Hyena? The one that's supposed to come by at any second?'"

Duncan nodded again. "Yep. She was getting our pizza, but she never came back."

_She must be that blonde girl, _Anthony thought. He was about to ask Duncan for clarification when Jackson jumped up. He looked confused for a brief second, then the confusion vanished. Anthony reached over and grabbed him by the arm. "Hey, Jackson."

Jackson looked at Anthony. "Hi. Who are you?" He asked.

"Anthony," he said, pulling his hand back.

"You're name's Aunty?" A shocked voice said from behind them.

Anthony turned to find Ruby staring at him in surprise. "No! Of course not! It's Anthony."

Ruby crossed her arms. "You said Aunty." She muttered. "I heard you."

Anthony sighed and rubbed Vlad behind his ears. Vlad panted and leaned against him. "I did not say Aunty."

"Yes you did!" Ruby insisted. "I know you did!"

"Did not!" He snapped.

"Did too!" She countered.

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Didn't!"

"Did!"

Jackson watched the entire thing. "And Ruby calls _me _immature!" He snickered.

"Shut up, you..." Anthony grumbled.

"Yeah, Jackson! Shut up!" Ruby mimicked.

"Hey!" Jackson protested. "And he didn't say Aunty!"

Ruby glared at him.

Jackson cowered. "Okay, maybe he did."

Anthony groaned. He felt like this 'Hyena' person couldn't come soon enough.

* * *

**I've switched things around here! Anthony's part is shorter-much shorter- than the Hyena's part!**

**In case you have your suspicions about Diana, everything she said is true. Everything.**

**Please leave your thoughts on this chapter! Your reviews keep me going!**

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**~Riverstone**


	7. Freedom, lies, and car trips

**Hola! I'm really sorry for the really late update! I was on a trip. **

**I was wondering...I wrote a few extra oneshots(Not as good as Shark Bait, unfortunately) that I don't know what to do with. Should I make a collection of oneshots? Like I said, I was just wondering.**

**So far, the only thing in this fic that's gone according to plan is that everyone who was supposed to survive for this long has. (Example:The Hyena wasn't supposed to get kidnapped, Anthony was supposed to have only one appearance, etc...I'm serious. The kids were supposed to get their pizza.)**

**R&R!**

**Enjoy~**

* * *

The Hyena traveled down that dark, smelly passageway. Twice she had to skirt around disembodied..._things_. She managed to keep her cool, though, until a cockroach dropped from the ceiling and landed in her hair. She let out a faint cry of disgust as she swatted it away, but continued along the stone path.

After what seemed like several hours of walking, the Hyena spotted a low doorway with soft light seeping through. It was still bright enough that it was hard to see anything outside, so, squinting and holding a hand up to her eyes, she stepped through-

-Right onto a large, precariously balanced pile of rocks overlooking a desert. The Hyena yelped as the pile shifted. Combined with the shifting rocks and the fact that she was stuck in the middle of the desert with no transportation, she almost wanted to go back into the horrible tunnel.

_No! _The Hyena told herself furiously. _I can't give up now. I'm already this far, and El Escorpion could come at any moment. I have to keep moving._ With that firmly stuck in her mind, the Hyena managed to jump down from the pile, then started sprinting out into the desert. She kept an eye open for anything that could prove to be a suitable shelter, in case El Escorpion or Dr. Xavier showed up, or if it got too hot to continue. Once, she thought she saw a nice big hole, but soon a small feathery head popped out and glared at her with unblinking yellow eyes. Despite the situation, The Hyena had to laugh and shake her head at the tiny burrowing owl. It was just too cute to cause problems, which the Hyena liked about people. And animals. _Just like the NERDS right now. _She sighed to herself. _They wouldn't stand a chance against that assassin..Which is why I need to get back as soon as possible._

* * *

Diana hurried out of the holding cell just in time to see El Escorpion stomping down the hallway, a whip in his hand. He made no attempt to talk, just pushed past her. Diana shifted her weight from one foot to another, trying to decide. Finally, she made up her mind just as El Escorpion was pushing open the door. "Wait!" She called after him. But it was too late. He had gone through and seen that the girl had escaped. A tense silenced stretched for a second. Two seconds. Three. Diana watched the door nervously, biting her lip.

A furious roar sounded from in the room, causing Diana to wince. A passing henchman gave her and the door a curious look, but she waved him past. The more who knew she was near when the incident happened the more likely that her plans would fail-and she had worked on them far too long for them to fail. Not now. Not when she was so close to destroying-

The door slammed open, and Diana shrank back. El Escorpion walked out, looking surprisingly calm considering his recent outburst.

Diana took a hesitant step forward. "I tried to tell you. She escaped right after you left."

El Escorpion gave her a sharp look. "No one escapes me!" He rasped.

Diana shrugged. "We had a little time to analyze the situation. It seems that she both inside and outside help."

El Escorpion's frown grew deeper, causing his now misshapen jaw to pop. "Why am I only being told of this now, if you had that much time?" He growled.

"We couldn't find you...Besides, we needed to find her...location, before you go running off"

El Escorpion rolled his eyes and sighed. "There's only one way out of that room, and it leads straight into the desert. No places to hide, no one can run fast enough to get anywhere for a good few hours. I could find her easily! So, tell me...WHY WOULD YOU NEED THE GIRL'S LOCATION!?"

Diana held his gaze unflinchingly. "Because she didn't run away. She had a jet waiting for her. Last time I checked, they were crossing over Oklahoma. The jet should arrive in Arlington any minute now." She lied easily.

El Escorpion turned to go, then stopped. "One more thing," he said smoothly, studying Diana. "Who was this 'inside help?' I want to have a little...talk...with them."

Diana fought her urge to smile. _This is the perfect chance! _"We think it was Dr. Xavier-the intelligent one. He was here just moments ago. I think he escaped to the storage room." She indicated to the hallway opposite the one El Escorpion was about to go down.

El Escorpion sneered. "Is that so? Well, I was going to talk with him anyway." He glanced down that way. "Arty, I'm going to need you on standby. Stay in the control room until I get back, and lock up the storage room. No one gets in...or out."

He tapped one of the speakers on the wall. "Get my jet ready. Put my van on board, and I'll need some things... What? Oh, you know, rope, cloth, my special handkerchief, standard protocol. Yes, that will be all." He tapped the wall again.

Diana dug around in her pocket. "Wait," she said. "You can use this to track her. I already have everything imputed-all you have to do now is follow the dot." Actually, it was supposed to track the com-link belonging to the leader of the NERDS team, but El Escorpion didn't need to know that. It was crucial that The Hyena get to the NERDS before El Escorpion. It was all part of the plan.

...~*~*~...

Diana leaned forward as she watched the monitors, her strikingly white hair falling over her face. El Escorpion had landed in Arlington, Virginia. She frowned. That took less time that she expected. Oh, well. If her little present was any good, he wouldn't get anywhere else too quickly. She turned to the henchman standing next to her. "Did you put the package on board the van like I asked?"

"Yes, ma'am."

She smiled. "Good. I need one more favor. Prepare a jet. In the desert, somewhere West of the Fortress, you will find a girl by the name of the Hyena. Take her to Arlington as well. Do not inform El Escorpion. Instead, drop her off at Thomas Knowlton Middle School. Then report back here, and do not tell anyone where you were or what you were doing."

The henchman gave her a fearful glance. "The Hyena? B-but the boss..."

Diana leaned close to his face. "The boss isn't here, is he? And while he isn't here, I'm in charge. Now, unless you want to end up in the holding cell with a knife in your gut..." She hissed warningly.

The henchman swallowed nervously. "Y-yes ma'am. Right away." He left in a rush, talking into a phone.

Diana smiled and turned back to the monitors. "You've been in power for too long, El Escorpion. I'm going to squash you like the bug you are."

She giggled, then started to laugh. Soon it turned into an outright cackle. Oh, her employer would have been proud! Everything is coming together so nicely!

* * *

"Are we there yet?" Flinch asked for what seemed like the millionth time.

Anthony didn't even try to answer this time. He just gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on the steering wheel. Luckily, he didn't have to.

"Does it look like we're there?" Matilda grumped. "I don't know where we're going, but I'm pretty sure the car would stop if we were there."

"But the car's stopped a bunch of times." Flinch pointed out.

Matilda frowned at this. "True...Anthony, are we there yet?"

They (Anthony, the kids, and Vlad) were in Anthony's car, driving to Pizza Hut. After hours of waiting, some questioning, bribery, and a fair bit of complaining, Anthony had decided that this Hyena person wasn't going to come to them, so they should go find her. First, though, he had to do something that needed to be done a while ago.

"Not yet. Look. How about we play the Quiet game? First person to talk loses," Anthony said, trying to watch the kids and keep his eyes on the road at the same time.

Jackson piped up from the very back, where he was sitting with Duncan. "Hey! Mom used to love that game!"

Anthony smiled and look sideways at Jackson. "Really?"_ I can imagine why. Mine did too._

"Yeah," Jackson confirmed. "We used to play it all the time, but I don't know what the prize is if you win, because I never won."

Anthony swerved to avoid a black van that came at him a little too close for his liking. Vlad yelped as he was thrown into the side door. "Sorry, buddy." Anthony scratched his dog behind the ears, then looked back. "Okay, if everyone knows how to play, the Quiet game starts now!"

Everyone sans Heathcliff clamped their mouth shut tight. He had been strangely quiet throughout the entire trip, and had not opened his mouth in the first place.

After about ten more minutes of silent driving, Anthony finally pulled into the parking lot for Pizza Hut. He looked back at everyone else. "Okay, now," Anthony said. "I have to go drop something off. Any requests for a drink or something? We have a long drive ahead of us. Yes, Ruby? No, it's OK. You can talk for a second."

Ruby, who wanted to say something so badly Anthony thought she might burst, took a gasping breath. "Aunty!" She shrieked.

Anthony froze. "What?"

Ruby stared straight at him, her eyes wide. "We're being followed! We're being followed by an assassin!"

* * *

**Sorry to cut it off there, but I thought it was a nice little point for that purpose. I'm just going to take right now to say that I'm probably going to wrap this story up in three or four chapters(not including the epilogue). If you were tired of this and wanting to see the ending, you're welcome. If you really wanted this to continue for longer than a few chapters, then I'm sorry. If enough people want me too, I can throw in a roadblock that would double that number, but it's whatever you guys want.**

**A little insight as to what the Hyena is up too, and we're adding a third POV to the list you can expect to see. Not sure if Diana is here to stay, though...**

**I love the Quiet game, don't you? It comes in handy in babysitting.**

**Review, please! They make me so happy.**

**LoL,**

**~Riverstone**


	8. Big Red Button of DOOM

**Hey, everyone! Just got back from a trip. Wow, I can't believe it's almost August...I don't want school to start yet!**

**Next update! Hope you like reading it as much as I liked writing it.**

**Just a small heads-up: The next few chapters(three[not including the epilogue], if all goes as planned) will be longer than usual, and will more or less be one big scene split into three parts. This means more cliffhangers, more planning, and (Just a guess) a little bit longer time between updates. Just a heads-up.**

**R&R!**

**Enjoy~**

* * *

The Hyena was extremely irritated. It was sweltering hot, she hadn't had anything to drink for well over a day, and she wasn't entirely sure whether the giant tarantula that had followed her for several miles was a hallucination or not. It just looked so _real_.

The Hyena glanced behind her as she slowed down for a quick break. Yep-it was still there. In fact, it seemed closer than usual. She faced forward again and shuddered. She never saw it move, but it was always right behind her. It almost made the Hyena wish she was still working for her old boss, in the cold, snowy, spider-free place. Not to mention it was surrounded by water. So. Much. Water. Water she had almost drowned in, but _still_.

A low humming sound drowned out the Hyenas thoughts. She looked up-and saw a sleek black jet coming in closer, as if it was chasing her.

_It's too late! They found me!_ Panicked, the Hyena ran as fast as she could, even though she knew it was hopeless.

Sure enough, the jet flew over her head and landed in her path.

For a split second, the Hyena wanted to bolt in the other direction. Then, she remembered what was at stake here, and who's fault it was. The Hyena found herself growing angry to the point where red blocked out her vision. She blinked hard a couple of times, then marched up to the jet. "Hey!" She yelled, banging on the door. "Get out-"

The door opened. The Hyena stepped back, watching.

An unfamiliar man poked his head out. "Are you the Hyena?"

The Hyena crossed her arms. "And if I am?"

The man glanced around nervously. "I was sent here to get you-I mean, the girl, and take her to Virginia."

"Who sent you?" The Hyena challenged.

"Who's asking?" The man shot back.

Sighing, the Hyena uncrossed her arms. "Yes, I'm the Hyena. Now, answer my question."

The man nodded. "Uh, y-yes, of course. It was Miss A-I mean, Diana. It was Miss Diana."

The Hyena frowned. He was hiding something, but whatever it was probably wouldn't kill her. "So, should we go?"

"If you want to survive, then yes, we should probably go." He agreed. The man offered her his hand.

The Hyena ignored it and pushed past him. "What's your name?" She asked, studying the inside of the jet.

The man shrugged as he walked around her and took his place at the controls. "Jeff. Why?"

"Because, Jeff," the Hyena said. "I need to ask you some questions. Like, where is El Escorpion?"

Jeff gave her a sideways look. "Why do you need to ask?"

The Hyena growled. "Because I want to show him exactly how I feel about being dumped in a desert in the middle of nowhere!"

"We're not in the middle of nowhere." Jeff started up the jet, and a dull roar exploded from the engine. He waited until it quieted to continue. "We are in Arizona. My hometown, I might add."

The Hyena snorted. "Same thing."

Jeff gave her a dirty look, but said nothing.

The Hyena waited, then sighed. She got settled into a chair. _Maybe I shouldn't have said that_, She admitted to herself. Because without Jeff talking to her, this was going to be a long ride home.

* * *

...~*~*~...

* * *

The Hyena stepped down from the jet.

"Wait!" Jeff called from behind her.

The Hyena half turned around. "Yes?" She asked.

Jeff fumbled around his pocket. He finally withdrew a small, flat object and held it out to the Hyena. "Here. Miss Diana said to give you this. She also said to tell you to push the red button when you get close to El Escorpion. Not before, not after. She said it would help, whatever that means."

The Hyena accepted the mystery item and put it in her pocket. "Tell Diana that I said Thanks."

Jeff nodded. "I know I shouldn't side with you, but be careful out there." With that, he closed the door. After a few seconds, the jet lifted off from the ground.

The Hyena waved, then turned to face the entrance to the school. She felt a strange sense of foreboding, but shrugged it off. It was probably just a side effect from being captured by an assassin in this general location.

The Hyena took a deep breath, opened the doors, and jogged to her destination, keeping a close eye out for threats.

She finally reached the gaping hole. The Hyena picked up the pizza box which, surprisingly enough, was still intact and still held a fairly edible pizza.

The Hyena listened hard as she climbed down the hole, balancing the box on her head. Nothing. The Hyena frowned. That was odd. The NERDS were plenty loud when she was abducted.

It took some time, but she finally reached the bottom. The Hyena took the pizza in her hands and all but ran to the door where she found the NERDS last time. She threw open the door. The vast room was empty. Completely empty.

"Kids?" She called uncertainly. "Hey, kids...I've got pizza...Duncan? Ruby? Jackson? Anybody home?"

No answer.

The Hyena glanced around nervously. She strode over to the table and set the pizza down. "Guys? This...this isn't funny. Come out right now, or you're not getting any pizza." She pleaded._ Oh no. Oh no. Oh no..._

_I was too late._

The Hyena shook her head. "No...Not too late. I don't know where you are, or why you want my friends, El Escorpion, but I am going to find you. I will rescue my friends, and nothing short of death will stop me."

Time to track them down. But first...

She located a stash of water bottles and drained one of them completely. No use dying of dehydration before your enemies get a chance to kill you, right?

* * *

Anthony just stared at the little girl. "There's an assassin...following us? Us?" He asked. "How...do you know this?" Anthony hoped that she was just joking, but the look of pure fear on Ruby's face proved she wasn't.

"I get all cough-y when an assassin is coming." Ruby admitted. "I just managed to hide the cough-y part until now."

Anthony had to admit, Ruby_ had _looked strained towards the end of the trip.

Jackson twisted around in his seat to look out the back window. "The Hyena was an assassin..." He muttered thoughtfully.

Anthony's breath caught in his throat. "_What_?"

Ruby shook her head. "No, it's a different one. My allergies tell me this one wants to hurt us."

_My allergies tell me...?_ Anthony was sure that he could not have heard right. Okay, maybe he had seen Matilda flying, and Flinch was record-breaking fast, but telepathic allergies was just ridiculous.

"...Have to get out of here." Ruby was saying desperately, shaking Anthony out of his thoughts.

"Yeah. Lets go back to the school. Pizza Hut can wait." Anthony gunned the engine, then backed out of his parking space just as a black van pulled into the space next to him. He squinted at it in his mirror. "Hey, isn't that-"

"THAT'S HIM!" Ruby yelled. "GO!"

Anthony didn't need anymore prompting. He shot out into the road, the memory of meeting the stranger dressed in purple burning in his mind.

* * *

...~*~*~...

* * *

"That's it, let's go..." Making sure Heathcliff was on the rope and moving down, Anthony climbed as fast as he could without bothering the other boy. The last thing he needed was a five-year-old to fall down this thing, with being caught out in the open while this assassin guy was hunting them being a close second.

It took some time, but Anthony finally reached the bottom. He dusted himself off. "Hey, guys, wait-"

But it was too late. Laughing, shrieking, and barking, seven kids and one dog ran towards a half-open door.

"What's going on here?" Someone called, and the blonde girl from earlier stepped out from behind the door. She looked the same except for the dried blood on her shirt and the half-full water bottle in her hand. "K-kids?" She stammered, her eyes wide. "You're here..Oof!"

Jackson had plowed into her and was hugging her tightly, his face buried in her shirt. "I missed you." He mumbled in a small voice. He looked up, worry evident on his face. "Where did you go? An assassin chased us here!"

The girl's face hardened. "An assassin?" She asked. "Well, I just might need to have a little talk with this assassin, won't I?"

"Wouldn't be too much of a problem, seeing as you're an assassin too." Anthony interjected.

The girl's head snapped up. "Do you have a problem with that? Who are you, anyway?" She growled. Her eyes narrowed, then widened with recognition. "I know you! You're the delivery boy! What are you doing with the kids?" Suspicion crept into her voice.

Anthony crossed his arms and glared. "Oh, so all these are yours, then? And yes, I'm 'the delivery boy'. I'm guessing you're the Hyena?"

"Oh, sure. And I was just about to ask you the same thing." She snapped. "Yes, I'm the Hyena. You still haven't told me your problem with me!"

By this time, Jackson had backed away, clearly sensing a fight, which he didn't want to be in the middle of.

"I just have a thing against people who kill other people for money!" Anthony yelled. Vlad howled, upset by the raised voices. Anthony reached over and petted him.

"A lot of money!" The Hyena defended. "I'm not an assassin anymore. A friend convinced me to retire and work at his job. Besides," she added. "I never actually killed anyone. My last boss made me do goon work for the majority of the time."

"So, not only were you an assassin, you weren't even a good one." Anthony commented dryly.

"Something like that." The Hyena admitted. "Look, I'm sorry I snapped. Things haven't exactly been going well lately. A psycho turned a bunch of my friends into kindergartners and I don't know if there's even a cure, I'm being hunted down by someone who wants to torture me to death, and a random guy abducts the kids I'm trying to take care of only to bring them back later. Long story short, I'm a little stressed right now."

_Random guy? Abducts? I feel so appreciated. _Anthony grumbled to himself. "I didn't abduct them-I was trying to find you."

The Hyena raised an eyebrow. "Really? Were they getting too much for you to handle? I guess that's understandable, seeing as they have the equivalent of superpowers."

_Superpowers? Huh. Makes sense. _"No, not exactly. Jackson got shot by some kind of dart, and he got older before Dr. Maniac shot something else into him. He said that he sent for you, and so you should be there soon, or something like that."

"_What?_"

"I said-"

"I know what you said!" The Hyena cut him off. "Jackson got older? So there's an antidote? Dr. Xavier has a positive antidote?"

Anthony nodded. "Yeah. But how'd you know his name? Do you know the other assassin, too?"

The Hyena clenched her fist. Water shot out of the bottle, drenching her, but she didn't seem to notice. "Know him? He kidnapped me and I broke his jaw."

Anthony winced. "Remind me to never kidnap you," he said. "Is that how you got blood all over your shirt?"

The Hyena looked down, pained. "I have blood...? _Great_." She groaned. "It takes forever to get these kinds of stains out, and I loved this shirt."

Anthony stared at her. "You're being targeted by an assassin, and you're worrying about a few _stains_?"

"Yeah. Speaking of which, we probably need to find El Escorpion. You know, the assassin."

"So, that's his name. But why on Earth would you want to find him?" Anthony asked, frowning.

"It doesn't matter why, _boy_. There's no need to find the person you're looking for. You see..." El Escorpion grinned as he stepped out from the shadows. "He's already here."

Vlad growled, squaring his shoulders.

Anthony spun around, shocked. "You!" He gasped. _It's the spider-y man!_

El Escorpion's face darkened. "You!" He spat. "I should have killed you when I had the chance. If I had known that you were working with _her _I would have."

The Hyena stepped forward. "Hello, _Scorpius._"She growled. "Fancy meeting you here. I had almost expected to meet up with you on the road."

Anthony stumbled backwards. It unnerved him, but the Hyena was talking like they were just friends going out for lunch. He would have believed it, too, except for the venom in her voice.

"You might have, _Mindy_, except you took too long talking to your errand boy. I had enough time to slip in without you noticing." El Escorpion leered.

The Hyena pulled a dagger from her remaining boot. She took another step forward and pointed the dagger at the other assassin. "_Don't_," she hissed, "_Call me Mindy_. I will gladly take your head off your shoulders and find my own way to Dr. Xavier's headquarters!"

El Escorpion held up his hands, smirking. "Now, now, little fox. We can't have that, can we?"

Anthony reached out and took the Hyena by the arm, before realizing a split second later that that might not be the best idea. "Careful, Hyena." He warned, ready to jump back to avoid being skewered. "I don't think you should fight him alone."

The Hyena glared at El Escorpion a second longer, then put her dagger away. "Fine." She grumbled. "But if something happens to you, it's not my fault."

_Fine by me. _Anthony thought.

El Escorpion laughed. "Yes, yes. Retreat. It's hopeless anyway." He mocked.

"Hopeless? We have you outnumbered nine to one!" The Hyena yelled. "And eight of us are trained secret agents!"

This was new to Anthony. "Hyena," he said slowly, "When you say _eight _of you..."

"I mean the kids, too. They might not look like much now, but you should see them in battle." She confirmed.

El Escorpion shook his head. "I believe you misunderstood," he rasped. "It's like you said yourself. I might not look like much now. In fact..." He pulled out what looked like a phone and pressed a button. "I may have even looked outnumbered."

A low rumbling sounded from somewhere above them. Vlad whimpered and backed away until he was next to Anthony.

The Hyena looked up. She didn't look afraid, just...Uneasy. Even the supposed 'secret agent kids' were huddled together, looking more than a little nervous.

The rumbling sounded again-

And what seemed to be at least fifty men burst through the ceiling. Dr. Xavier was among them(It was easy to tell, with his bizarre clothing) along with some of the goons Anthony had seen earlier.

El Escorpion laughed again. The sound sent a shiver down Anthony's spine. "You see? Hopeless, don't you think?"

"Only fifty?" The Hyena scoffed. "I saw a crazy 11-year old do much better!"

El Escorpion shrugged. "You really aren't much of a threat. Why waste money on a retired assassin, a pizza boy, and a couple of kids?"

Vlad growled. He crouched, baring his teeth. Then, Vlad lunged at El Escorpion, snapping and snarling.

El Escorpion only looked mildly surprised. He kicked at Vlad, who yelped as the tip of his boot struck Vlad's leg.

Anthony stood stunned for a second. The scene replayed over and over in his mind. Anthony glowered for a second, then all but flew at El Escorpion from across the room with the full intent of strangling him. Really, he just wanted to grab his enemy and choke him._ Almost killing me is one thing, but NO ONE TOUCHES MY DOG!_

Anthony was blindsided by one of El Escorpion's men before he could reach his target. As he was thrown across the room, Anythony caught snatches of the ongoing battle. Duncan and Flinch were holding back Dr. Xavier and someone who looked a lot like him, and doing a pretty good job of it, too. Matilda was hovering around the room, throwing punches and blasting people out of her way with her inhalers. The Hyena was fighting about a dozen men at once, none of which were any match for her. Most were forced to defend themselves as she punched and kicked her way through the crowd, almost dancing around her opponents.

Anthony slammed against someone else, who shoved him right back. The guy that had blindsided Anthony just moments ago also appeared. Anthony backed away, warily looking from one to the other.

The first guy charged, swinging his fists. Anthony sidestepped, and a full-out brawl between them unfolded. Anthony wasn't the best fighter, but he was fast, and the two goons ended up missing him and hitting each other instead.

Anthony stuck out a foot as one of them tried to charge again. It was an old trick, but it worked. His opponent fell flat on his face, leaving Anthony and the remaining man to confront each other. Anthony realized that while this was one less threat to deal with, he knew next to nothing about fighting and didn't stand a chance. Taking a quick look around him, Anthony decided to do the reasonable thing. "HELP!" He yelled. "Hyena! I need some help!"

The Hyena knocked her opponent aside and crossed the battlefield to where Anthony was. "Having fun?" She asked, smirking.

Anthony tried to glare at her and keep an eye on his opponent at the same time. "Yes," he snapped. "Lots of fun. Can you please help beat this guy up? Or, better yet, stop this fight altogether? You're supposed to be some superspy slash assassin! You should know what to do!"

"I don't know..."The Hyena said, frowning. "Wait!" She dug around in her pocket. "I have a secret weapon!" Grinning triumphantly, she produced a small, rectangular object with a big red button in the middle.

"Secret weapon?" Anthony asked, dodging a punch. "Why are we only hearing about this now?" He asked, more than a little irritated.

"I forgot until now," the Hyena admitted. "Besides, you're doing fine."

Anthony sighed. He ducked under his opponent's arm and went over to where the Hyena was. "Great. A big button. What happens if you press it?"

The Hyena's brow furrowed. "I'm not entirely sure. I just know that I'm supposed to push it when I get close to El Escorpion."

"Why don't we find out, then?" Anthony suggested. He searched for El Escorpion. It was hard to find him in the crowd, but Anthony managed. He was near the exit, locked in combat with Ruby. The little girl didn't look hurt, though her face was beaded with sweat. She looked like she would collapse from exhaustion any second.

Anthony had a brief recollection of his younger sister, who disappeared around four years ago. Ruby looked a lot like her, except his sister usually wore her hair down, and she didn't have glasses. Anthony's urge to throttle El Escorpion intensified, and he clenched his fists. "Over there." He growled, pointing. "Press the button before I lose it."

The Hyena's face hardened. She looked furious. She pointed the mystery object at El Escorpion and pressed the button.

Nothing happened.

* * *

**The Big Red Button of Doom!...Doesn't work? Or does it? Something's not right here...**

**It's true, Ruby does get 'a hacking cough' when assassins are involved! Don't believe me? Check my profile! **

**Also, Ruby apparently doesn't like trains.**

**Yes, Anthony has a sister. Maybe that's why he took to the Team so easily.**

**Goodnight, everyone! Hopefully, you aren't up as late as I am, but if you are, I hope it's because you're doing something fun.**

**LoL,**

**~Riverstone**


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